Washington Drive Primary School

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Washington Drive Primary School, located in the Harborfields Central School District, serves pupils in kindergarten through second grade. Our early childhood program is designed to help children move with ease from home to our school environment. This first school experience is an important introduction to the sequential program of elementary education. Our curriculum is uniquely designed to enhance each child's academic skills, language, and social competency.

Our program, which is specifically for 5 to 8 year-olds, provides a wide variety of developmentally appropriate opportunities in which children can create, explore, discover and learn. The staff uses an ever-growing array of materials and equipment to support instruction. Among the important aspects of the program are activities, which foster self-reliance and a positive attitude toward school and learning. Throughout the program, children continue to acquire thinking and problem-solving skills. Most importantly, we nurture the individual personalities and specific learning characteristics of each child.

Our Programs
The library at the Washington Drive Primary School is a focal point for the entire school. Built to resemble the inside of a ship, there are port holes in the two-story structure, and nautically-themed decorations throughout.

Along with a state-of-the-art computer lab, our classrooms within Washington Drive are equip with a variety of resources such as SMART Boards, document cameras, and Google Chrome Books.  These resources help to provide a technology rich learning environment that fosters our students' learning needs in a fun and engaging manner. 

Our English Language Arts curriculum is addressed by a balanced literacy approach to reading and writing. This framework allows for instruction to be differentiated in order to meet each child’s individual needs.

Literacy development is strengthened as skills and strategies are taught throughout meaningful reading and writing classroom experiences. Our comprehensive and vigorous curriculum allows all children to extend their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

The "Go Math"  program provides our students with the necessary skills to help them master math concepts within our NYS Common Core Curriculum.  Within this program, students utilize workbooks, various "hands on" materials, and the SMART Board throughout each unit.  Along with this, the "Go Math" Program also provides students with access to an online program that provides additional resources and activities as well.

The science program at Washington Drive Primary School is discovery and inquiry-based and reflects the New York State elementary science syllabus. Science units emphasize integration of language arts, math, and science. Teaching activities for each objective include direct hands-on experiences for students. The process skills that we focus on are observing, comparing, sorting and grouping. Some of the science topics explored are measuring, buoyancy, weather, matter, plants and animals. Themes nurture children's natural curiosity and capitalize on their interest in the environment.

Music and art are part of our students' weekly schedule. Services are also provided by reading specialists, a school psychologist, speech therapists, and a school nurse.

The goal of physical education is to create safe, enjoyable, positive experiences for students through physical activity. Each child is a unique individual and needs to be recognized for his/her own strengths. The objective of physical education is to create physically fit individuals with a desire to lead physically active lifestyles. We aim to teach children the benefits of activity so they can share their knowledge and cooperatively work with others.

Activities

Learning and enjoying go hand in hand. Throughout the school year our children participate in many school-wide activities, such as our 100th day celebration, PARP Program, Earth Day and read-ins. We hope and expect our children's enthusiasm for learning will last a lifetime. We are proud of our school, our staff, and our youngsters!